


Snake Wine

by Gummy



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Bartender AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-16
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-03-07 19:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3179684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummy/pseuds/Gummy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The new bartender at my favorite bar is unfairly attractive and I got really really drunk trying to impress them" Korrasami AU.</p><p>Now Multi-Chapter!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Can You Keep Up?

**Author's Note:**

> Snake Wine really exists!

She couldn’t explain it, but Asami loved to hang out at bars. Not the seedy, questionable ones that dotted the rougher parts of the city, but the upscale, classy establishments that served name brand liquor. And it wasn’t about getting tipsy and going home with some random stranger which didn’t run with Asami’s style, it was more like the atmosphere was electrifying. It was more intoxicating than the free booze she got from guys thinking they had a chance with her. One particular bar that Asami frequented was Raiko’s, a large two-story building with tall blacked-out windows. The first floor was mostly taken up by a large dance floor with a gigantic DJ’s booth, which almost always had someone famous in it, and was more like the club. Asami spent most of her time on the second floor which was smaller but much more elegant. A small stereo set up near the counter played softer tunes than what was often bouncing downstairs. The bar was much smaller as well but was much better for meeting and chatting with new people, which is why Asami loved it so much.

That Wednesday night, she walked through the oval front doors after flashing a smile at the bouncer who knew her by name. After a long and rather frustrating day at work, she really just wanted to unwind. The dance floor was packed with intoxicated college students grinding on each other to a loud EDM song while the DJ jumped to the beat. Multi-colored lights flashed back and forth wildly, reflecting off the decorative shards of glass that hung from the ceiling. Asami bypassed several drunk guys that offered her drinks, heading up the stairs into the quieter part of the bar. She looked forward to catching up with Tenzin, the bartender who was immensely interesting and wise, often entertaining her with stories about his time training as a monk in Asia. She especially admired the bright, blue arrow tattoos on his hands that distinguished his high rank. She opened the door and expected to see the older man’s friendly face but was he was nowhere to be seen. Instead she was met with a stranger who had their back turned, inspecting the bottles of expensive liquor.

The new bartender was obviously female. She had her sleeves rolled up to the elbow, showing her dark tan skin and muscled arms. Her hair was also dark and pulled up into a ponytail. Asami couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed and frowned to herself, wondering where Tenzin had gone. She took a seat at the bar, figuring she might as well get acquainted with the new bartender since they would probably see each other often.

“Just a minute,” The bartender said, back still turned. Asami saw a notebook in her hand with what looked like a list of alcohol brands which meant she was probably still a rookie. The bartender muttered something and scribbled on the notebook.

“Are you being tested on this?” Asami asked.

“Actually that is correct.” The girl replied with a laugh, “I have to show that I’m proficient before I get a permanent position.”

“Don’t you have to go to bartending school though?” Asami said, “Isn’t that enough proof?”

“You would think,” The girl sighed, “But apparently not. There’s alcohol here I’ve never even heard of.” Asami heard the notebook snap shut. The bartender slid the pencil behind her ear and finally turned around. Asami’s response lodged in her throat as she caught full sight of the girl’s front. She was smiling warmly, the dark features of her face seeming to light up. Asami was especially thunderstruck by the girl’s absolutely beautiful blue eyes that stood out even more against her tan skin. Asami’s eyes fluttered down to the name tag pinned to her teal waistcoat which said “Korra”.

“W-what kinds of alcohol?” Asami stammered, trying to regain her composure.

“Ever heard of snake wine?” Korra asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No. What’s it made from.”

“Snakes.”

“You’re full of it.”

“Wanna bet?” Korra reached behind her and pulled out a dusty looking box, looking left and right to make sure nobody was looking but the bar was almost empty. She opened it and pulled out what looked like a jar full of liquid honey; but upon further inspection, Asami found that there were, in fact, snakes in the jar. She jumped back, looking at the bottle with absolute revulsion.

“There’s snakes in that jar holy-”

“Told you.” Korra smirked, twisting the jar around to better show the animal inside.

“Isn’t that dangerous though?” Asami said, staring at the triangular head of the snake, “What about the venom?”

“The alcohol actually offsets the toxic qualities of the venom, making it safe to drink.” Korra said knowledgeably, “People claim that drinking it actually extends your lifespan.”

“So why doesn’t everyone drink it?” Asami asked curiously. Korra shifted uncomfortably, looking around the room again.

“Uh, it’s actually illegal in the United States, “ She said quietly, “Don’t ask me how the boss got it but we’re only allowed to serve to select customers.”

“If you’re so selective about who gets to see it, why show me?” Asami said.

“I dunno,” Korra muttered, tugging at her collar, “You just look trustworthy and I’m usually a pretty good judge of character.” Asami’s stomach squirmed slightly as Korra looked around for the third time, “Do you want to try some?”

“Aren’t you going to get in trouble?” Asami whispered, “What about Tenzin?”

“He’s off tonight,” Korra said mischievously, “What do you say?”

"Look at you," Asami said smugly, "Trying to get me drunk without bothering to learn my name." 

"I wasn't-" Korra uttered, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

"It's Asami. And you're Korra." She said, pointing to the name tag pinned to Korra's waistcoat.

"Well then _Asami,_ " Korra said with a smirk, "You in or out?" If it was anyone else offering an illegal substance to her, Asami would’ve immediately declined. But.. something about Korra made Asami definitely want to try the snake wine; after all, she was always willing to try new things. It also didn’t hurt that this new bartender was unfairly attractive, and attractive people made Asami do stupid, impressive things 

“Let’s do it.” Asami said, "You may proceed to intoxicate me." She sounded brave but in reality she was heavily eyeing the dead snake in the bottle as Korra gave a beaming smile. She unscrewed the top of the jar and held it out for Asami to smell. She leaned over and took a sniff, her nostrils burning slightly at the pungent scent. Korra poured the golden liquid into a shot glass, swirling it around a little and placing it front of Asami.

“Tell me how it is.” She said, looking at Asami expectantly.

“Pour yourself a glass and we’ll make it a toast.” Asami said, looking hesitantly at the shot glass. Korra grinned even wider, eagerly pulling out another shot glass and filling it. She stowed the bottle back into the dusty box and put it back in its hiding place. They held up their drinks.

“To an extended lifespan?” Korra suggested.

“And your job proficiency.” Asami added. They clinked glasses, knocking back the drink in one gulp. The bitter taste attacked Asami’s tongue and made her throat sear with an usually painful burn. She pressed her fingers to her mouth, shuddering at the unpleasant sensation. Korra was smacking her lips, momentarily deep in thought.

“I just felt my lifespan shorten,” She said, placing her glass upside down on the bar, “That was disgusting.” They both burst into laughter, already feeling a buzz coming on from such concentrated alcohol.

“How about a round of legal alcohol?” Asami suggested, feeling warm and happy.

“What’s your poison?” Korra said, hand poised to grab a bottle.

 “Hit me with some more shots,” Asami said, “Whiskey please.” She saw Korra look slightly confused before moving her hand away from the vodka section of the shelf and over to the dark liquors.

“Didn’t have you pegged for a whiskey girl.” Korra said, grabbing a square bottle and setting it on the counter.

“What you think I can’t handle my alcohol?” Asami scoffed, “Can you keep up with me?” She reached over and set Korra’s shot glass right side up, gesturing to it with a challenging look.

“I’m really not supposed to get drunk on the job,” Korra said nervously, looking like she wanted nothing more than to fill her glass.

“It’s deserted up here,” Asami said, “And your boss is nowhere to be found.” She took her shot without a grimace, raising her eyebrows at Korra who poured herself a drink and drained it. Asami signaled a refill for both of them, a smirk teasing her lips. They went back and forth throughout the night until Asami knew she was hitting her limit. The alcohol was burning worse every drink and the room was starting to rotate.

“What number was that?” Asami slurred, nearly gagging on her drink.

“Eleven,” Korra said back, grinning as if she wasn’t being affected at all, “I think you should stop.” She added humorously as Asami gave a wobble on her stool.

“Nonsense,” Asami said loudly, “I hate losing.”

“Sometimes we have to accept defeat,” Korra said, stepping out from behind the counter to help Asami off her stool, “Come on my shift is about to end I’ll take you home.”

“Wait what time is it?” Asami said, looking around for a clock, making herself stumble again. Korra looked down at her black wristwatch.

“Almost 3.” She said, “I have to clean up but come lay down in Tenzin’s office okay?” She led Asami to a small office back behind the bar and sat her down on a decorative couch in the corner.

“This couch is comfy.” Asami said dreamily, nestling her face into the cushion.

“I promise I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Korra said, “Enjoy that couch.” She shut the door, leaving Asami alone in the office which was decorated with a heavy Asian culture influence. Framed pictures of meditation techniques hung on the walls and many signs of Tenzin’s experiences of being a monk were scattered around the room. Asami got up from the couch and decided to explore a little since being drunk often shortened her attention span considerably. She wandered over to Tenzin’s desk, picking up a framed picture of his family. His wife was hugging three children who looked deliriously happy as they all waved at the camera. Asami felt a stab of sadness in her gut but smiled at how beautiful Tenzin’s family was.

She picked up another frame which made her double take. A teenage Korra was smiling broadly with her arm slung around Tenzin’s shoulders. He was wearing his monk robes and showing the bandages on his hands which meant the picture was taken shortly after he’d gotten his tattoos. The oldest of his children was also in the picture with her arms wrapped around Korra’s waist, smile equally as bright. Even teenage Korra was attractive with her hair loose around her shoulders but partially hidden under a maroon beanie, also showing off her muscular arms in a tank top.

“That was a fun day.” Korra said, making Asami jolt in surprise.

“I’d ask you to tell me about it, but I’m afraid I won’t remember in the morning.” Asami said, swaying.

“Well let’s get you home,” Korra chuckled, “God forbid you get behind the wheel of a car.” They walked out of the bar, Asami being steered towards a dark blue compact car that was parked near the employee exit. She felt herself being lowered into the passenger seat and the seat belt crossing over her waist and chest. The door closed and Korra slumped down in the driver’s seat, firing up the engine.

“Where do you live Asami?” she asked.

“East Court,” Asami answered with difficulty, her brain felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Ooh the fancy side of town,” Korra teased, backing out the parking lot.

“Oh hush,” Asami said, leaning her head on Korra’s shoulder, “Y’know I wish we had gone to high school together.”

“Why’s that?”

“Teenage me would’ve lost her mind if she saw you in the hallway.” Asami laughed, not even realizing what she was uttering. Everything seemed like the right thing to say and her word filter seemed to have shut off completely.

“Hm,” Korra hummed, “I would’ve probably lost my mind over you as well.”

“Get outta here!” Asami said excitedly, “That’s awesome.” She slumped down in her seat, the ache of exhaustion starting to take a serious toll.

“Asami!” Korra yelped when she looked over, “Don’t fall asleep I need to know where you live!” Korra’s voice faded into the background as Asami’s eyes drooped lower and lower. She tried to fight it as hard as she could but sleep was clearly winning the battle.

“You’re unfairly attractive,” was the last thing Asami muttered before she began to snore gently.


	2. Pillow Talk: Hangover Edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stayed up to write this even though I have to get up at 5:30 for class. Long story shot, it ain't proofread. Sorry for any mistakes.

Asami was floating. Somewhere between asleep and awake, she felt weightless and freely moving across the sky but something nagged in the back of her head, interrupting the peace. This is really against the rules of physics... And then the first wave of vomiting broke her out of that really fast. Somehow there was a trashcan next to her bed which she gratefully expelled her insides into. Her head gave a nasty throb as she coughed into the trashcan, a layer of cold sweat breaking out over her forehead. Asami’s eyes swept across the wall in front of her, landing on a poster of some anime she’d never heard of. Then it hit her; this wasn’t her room.

Confusion, along with a little panic, was weighing down her brain as she looked at the unfamiliar room. Next to the poster was a large bookshelf crammed with studies of meditation and the culture of Asian monks. Staticky images of the night before began to crackle back to life in Asami’s head and she gasped in sudden remembrance. Korra. She turned over to see the girl slouched over, dead asleep, in a swivel chair, drooling slightly and holding a wet rag. She had changed into an old band t-shirt and some sweatpants sometime in the night and now her hair hung loose around her shoulders. Asami struggled to remember what lead up to this point but the hangover she was experiencing just wasn’t having it.

Asami swung her legs over the side of the bed, noticing that she too had changed clothes. Somehow she was wearing a dark blue hoodie and some cotton shorts. A deep blush rose to her cheeks, hoping somehow she had managed to do that without Korra’s help. Asami’s stomach gave a terrible lurch as she stood up on wobbly legs. She retched over the trashcan as quietly as she could, tears stinging her eyes at such an unpleasant sensation.

“Asami?” Korra croaked from the other side of the bed. The room was spinning too fast now for Asami to answer properly. She felt a pair of hands pull her hair away from her shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” She finally managed to say, face still buried in the trashcan.

“Shh don’t worry about it,” Korra said soothingly, “Everything is okay.” She managed to get Asami off the floor and back into the bed, handing her a glass of water off the nightstand.

"This is your room I’m assuming?” Asami asked, “And your clothes?”

“Yeah,” Korra said blushing a little, “You spilled a ton of water on yours and I didn’t think skinny jeans would be comfortable to sleep in.”

“I’m so embarrassed.” Asami muttered, hanging her head in shame.

“Hey don’t be.” Korra said, putting her hand on Asami’s shoulder, “This has happened to me a bunch of times.”

“But I put you through all this hassle. You slept in a chair for christ’s sake.”

“I was happy to do it,” Korra shrugged, “Taking care of people is sort of my specialty.”

“I’m definitely going to put in a good word with Tenzin.” Asami assured her, “I’ll make sure you get that job.” Korra grinned broadly and ventured off into the kitchen to make both of them some toast since Asami’s stomach was still very sensitive. She sat back against the wall, really studying the small room. It was painted a very light shade of blue, obstructed by various posters of TV shows and video games. A wooden desk sat underneath a large window with the blinds pulled shut, obstructing the sunlight from making Asami’s headache worse. She leaned over to get a good look at the framed pictures that sat next to a decently sized desktop computer.

The first was the same photo of Korra and Tenzin that was in the office at the bar. The second was a much younger Korra and a very large man, which Asami guessed was Korra’s father, making silly faces at the camera. The man was wearing the familiar monk attire from Tenzin’s picture while Korra had on board shorts and a black t-shirt. The last picture was of two teenage boys, who were obviously brothers, and Korra holding skateboards over their shoulders, covered in dirt and sweat. Korra and the younger brother were smiling goofily with one eyebrow raised while the older looking one gave a more mature, closed mouth smile. Asami grinned warmly at the photos, imagining that Korra must have had a very interesting childhood.

“We got arrested that day,” Korra said, walking back into the room with two plates of toast, “Trespassing and destruction of property.”

“So you were a skater punk?” Asami said, amused, “Loitering and breaking the law, smoking before 18.”

“Oh yeah we were absolute delinquents,” Korra laughed, “Nah, it was kinda hard to break the law when one of your best friends wanted to be a cop.”

“What went wrong that day?” Asami said, “Wrong place, wrong time?”

“Well you know skate punks,” Korra said, “We can’t resist a good rail, so we convinced Mako to hop the fence for us and open the gate. We didn’t see the cop sitting on the other side unfortunately.” She stared off dreamily into the distance for a moment before closing her eyes and shaking her head, “It’s all ancient history now. I moved here and haven’t heard from them since.” Korra looked sadly back at the picture frames.

“I never got to do fun stuff like that,” Asami said, “Over-protective dad.”

“Looks like you’re starting now,” Korra said smugly, “Going home with strangers at bars.”

“Oh hush.” Asami swatted playfully at Korra’s arm, “You’re not a stranger.” Korra smiled down at her plate, taking a bite of toast. Asami nibbled at her own, still feeling fairly queasy.

“Tell me about Tenzin,” Asami said, placing her plate aside, “I like listening to your stories. They distract me from the meat grinder my body is currently going through.” Korra chewed thoughtfully for a moment, deciding what to say.

“He and my dad met when they were both training in Asia,” Korra said fondly, “And when my mom and I went to visit every six months, I grew pretty close with him as well.” She took the  picture off the desk, “After they got their tattoos consecrated they moved back to the states and Tenzin became sort of a mentor to me.”

“What kind of mentor?” Asami asked, absorbed in Korra’s words.

“Sort of like a spiritual one. The whole meditation and martial arts thing y’know.” Korra shrugged, “He said I’ll be ready to go study in Asia within the next couple years.”

“Wow really?” Asami said in amazement, “So what are you guys doing working as bartenders?”

“It’s a fun pastime.” Korra said, “Plus the hours are good since most of the daytime is spent training.”

“That’s amazing.” Asami breathed, thinking back to her childhood of being cooped up under her father’s watchful eye. It must have registered on her face because when she glanced up, Korra was frowning at her.

“You look sad.” She said, looking searchingly into the Asami’s eyes.

“I envy your life,” Asami admitted, “Going to Asia and meeting amazing people, training as a monk, getting arrested. It’s all just so exciting.”

“What did you spend your young years doing?” Korra asked. Asami pursed her lips distastefully.

“I was kept under constant surveillance pretty much 24/7.” Asami said bitterly, “I only got away when my dad was thrown into prison for embezzlement.”

“Sorry,” Korra said, embarrassed, “I wouldn’t have bragged about my life if I had known.”  

“I like hearing about your life!” Asami said reassuringly, “It’s unfairly exciting in a good way.”

“Kinda like I’m unfairly attractive?” Korra said slyly. Asami choked on her bite of toast, spluttering crumbs all over her front. Korra was smirking so hard that Asami had the aching feeling she said things much worse than that.

“I- uh-” Her cheeks sizzled bright red, “You-” Asami hung her head.

“Hey for the record I think you’re unfairly attractive as well.” Korra said, putting a hand on Asami’s shoulder, “And I’m not afraid to admit it sober.” Asami laughed despite her blush growing even darker.

“Oh man,” Asami said between fits of laughter, “I forgot I was even hung over.” She looked at the clock hanging over Korra’s bookcase. 12:46. A stab of guilt hit her when she realized she’d pretty much took up Korra’s entire day with her stupidity the night before.

“It’s almost one o'clock,” Asami said, “I should really get out of your hair.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, only stumbling a little.

“You don’t have to leave if you’re not feeling well,” Korra said, “You’re really not a burden.”

“It’s okay, I have to call into work anyway. The workshop is probably in chaos.” Asami grabbed her clothes off the floor while Korra went to get Asami’s shirt from the bathroom where it had been drying. Asami declined Korra’s request to drive her home, assuring her that the walk to her apartment a few blocks away would help her hangover immensely. Korra looked skeptical but seemed more relaxed when Asami promised to call if she ended up vomiting on the side of the road.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now.” Asami said shyly as she stood outside of Korra’s apartment, “I really don’t know how to thank you.”

“Come visit me at the bar sometime and we’ll call it even.” Korra winked. Asami couldn’t help herself, pulling Korra into a tight hug which was eagerly returned. She pulled back after a moment and finally said goodbye, walking out into the bright sunshine. Asami turned the corner and stopped, thinking out loud to herself.

“ _Goddamn_ , being that attractive should be illegal.” Then she kept walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was kind of thinking about doing an epilogue sort of thing. Would you guys be down for that? It would take place a few years in the future.


	3. It's-a-me! The filler!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is what's up. A ton of you guys and the others over on fanfiction were making heavy requests for this to become a multi-chapter story instead of me just writing an epilogue. So I'm a pushover and decided to extend it a couple more chapters. 
> 
> This is a filler chapter while I get all my stuff in order. I'm not good at budding romance or whatever so I skipped ahead almost a year in the timeline don't hate me. Enjoy.

 

“I call it, Itchy Rash.” Korra said with an air of mystery as she set a glass full of red-orange liquid down in front of Asami.

“What? Your left leg?” Asami quipped, looking down at the concoction before her, ignoring Korra’s disgruntled muttering. She put down the engineering magazine she was reading and squinted at the cup. Well, the name was accurate. It definitely matched the coloring of an itchy rash. Korra had recently been attempting to create her own alcoholic beverage, making Asami be the taste-testing lab rat. Most of them turned out to be disasters since Korra was deadset on impressing her boss with a totally unexpected ingredient. In one instance, that ingredient was shredded chunks of baked chicken.  

“Try it!” Korra urged her, “I thought of it this morning while I was taking a shower. That’s where I get almost all of my drink ideas.”

“That explains your water bill last month,” Asami said, “What’s it made out of, Chef?”

“Vodka, grenadine for coloring, aaaaaand a secret ingredient!” Korra announced excitedly, pushing the glass closer to Asami.

“Whoa we talked about the secret ingredient thing,” Asami said anxiously, “Remember what happened with that one drink, Nala, or something?”

“Naga,” Korra corrected.

“Yeah, remember how I almost broke a tooth?”

“You weren’t supposed to eat the pebbles!”

“I wasn’t expecting there to be any rocks in my drink!”

“Well I promise today’s secret ingredient is completely safe.” Korra assured her.

“No rocks?” Asami asked, doubled checking.

“Cross my heart.” Korra ran her finger over her chest, “Now drink!”

“Wait I’ll need a kiss first,” Asami said, puckering her lips.

“For whaaaaat?” Korra said with an impatient moan, checking her watch dramatically.

“If this drink kills me, do you really want our last kiss to have been the one from this morning?”  

“I’ve told you not to kiss me when I have something in my mouth,” Korra groaned, “I can’t help that your kisses make my mouth gape open.”

“At least it wasn’t coffee this time.” Asami said, pointing impatiently to her lips. Korra rolled her eyes but cracked a smile, leaning over the table to give Asami a quick kiss. Asami grabbed Korra before she could pull away and tugged her back, laughing against her lips. When it seemed like one thing would lead to another, Korra suddenly pulled back and put her lips near Asami’s ear.

“You’re stalling.” She whispered before pulling away and sitting back in her chair. Asami whined in frustration but grabbed the cup of strange liquid and gave it a sniff. She definitely smelled the vodka and grenadine but there was something else. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on even though it smelled very familiar. Korra was looking at her so eagerly that Asami didn’t have the heart to turn the drink away. She held it up to her lips and took a big gulp.

The burn was unimaginable. Asami coughed and gagged, spraying the table with Korra’s invention. It felt like she had burned a hole in her throat and she was pretty sure that she just fried away the top layer of her taste buds.

“Korra,” she panted, “What-” Every word she exhaled made her mouth flare up in pain.

“Hot sauce,” Korra admitted sheepishly, “I put hot sauce in the drink.” A million situations flew through Asami’s brain but none of them could even begin to rationalize why on earth someone would put hot sauce in a beverage.

“How much was in there?” Asami groaned, running a finger over her tongue.

“I was only going to put in a little, y’know to give it a kick, but the game was on and I might have poured haaaalf the bottle…” Korra trailed off, shrinking under Asami’s incredulous stare.

“Korra if you weren’t my girlfriend I would be convinced that you were trying to murder me.” Asami sighed, wincing when her throat gave a burning throb.

“I’m sorry,” Korra said, hanging her head, “I’m not very good at this.”

“You’re trying your hardest,” Asami said, feeling guilty for her sarcasm, “I’m sure your boss would be impressed by that.”

“But he wants innovative bartenders!” Korra burst out, getting up and pacing, “I’m not an inventor like you! I’m just there to serve what other people have invented.” She gave a snort of anger. Asami got up and grabbed Korra’s shoulders, sitting her back down in the chair.

“You’ll think of something,” she said soothingly, “I’m sure Raiko isn’t expecting anything immediately.”

“I know, but I just want to show him that I’m here to stay. Ugh I’m stressed.”

“I know a great way to relieve tension,” Asami hummed innocently.

“You’re right I should meditate.” Korra said decidedly, smirking at Asami’s glare, “Oh you know I’m just kidding.”

**  
  
  
**

Korra was completely passed out, face buried in her pillow with one arm slung over Asami’s waist. Asami was lying awake, staring at the ceiling with a strange pit in her stomach. She wouldn’t call it stress since things at the factory were fine, her relationship with Korra was absolutely wonderful, and neither of them were struggling financially. (Korra had been saving money but wouldn’t tell Asami why, saying it wasn’t set in stone yet.)  She looked over at Korra who snored softly, hair coming loose from her ponytail and hanging in her face.

Their relationship started about two weeks after Asami’s embarrassing alcohol incident. Even now, thinking of it made her feel a stab of shame and Korra loved to bring up Asami’s “you’re unfairly attractive” line whenever possible. Their first official date had gone off without a hitch, Asami thinking that all the awkwardness passed when Korra witnessed her violently throwing up in a trashcan the week before. Their relationship progressed more quickly than others since they became completely comfortable with each other in a short amount of time. They leased an apartment after being together for only seven months and found that their living habits complimented each other’s.

After their first night together in the same apartment, Asami had woken up in the middle of the night to find the other side of the bed empty. Her first thought was that Korra had packed her things and snuck away. It threw her brain into panic mode, worried that maybe they moved too fast and oh, now Korra was getting cold feet and decided to bail. It was a ridiculous thought of course since she found Korra meditating in the living room, holding herself in a handstand with only her fingers. Apparently part of her training was meditating at least once at night and once during the day. Korra swore she did this whenever they spent the night together. Asami just slept through it every time.

Asami pulled herself back into the present, still baffled about the pit in her stomach but deciding that sleep was much more important. She settled down into the covers, pulling Korra close and kissing her forehead. There was nothing to worry about. Korra was here to stay and life was going in a positive direction.

She just hoped that this upswing wasn’t going to nosedive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in a bit of a creative slump so I apologize if this chapter feels a bit rushed and overall not up to par. The way I see it, there will be about 2-3 more chapter before I end it and start something new.
> 
> Psst go follow my tumblr for Legend of Korra goodness and updates regarding my stories :)  
> gummy-gums.tumblr.com

The factory was buzzing with the sound of blowtorches, engineers shouting, and machines making a deafening racket. Asami strolled around, clipboard in hand, watching her workers mend various broken objects. A man rushed by, his arms full of metal scrap, shouting a hello at Asami before turning the corner. Everything seemed to be running as smooth as a factory could.

Asami was hoping that she could make it home to have dinner with Korra before she left for the bar since Korra had been taking triple shifts for the last month. Asami often tried to bring this up with her but Korra always waved it down, saying that she might need some extra money in the near future. Now that Korra was constantly working, they never had much time together during the week and the strain was starting to show in Korra's face.

Asami's phone buzzed in her pocket, notifying her that it was 5 o'clock and time to sign off. She handed the clipboard to her assistant and quickly ran by her office to grab her bag and coat, dodging executives that might have packets to be read or documents to sign. When she was safely out the door and into her car, Asami's phone gave another buzz.

K: Left early for the bar, left you some noodles in the fridge :)

Asami deflated with disappointment, tossing her phone onto the passenger’s seat. It was irritating not knowing what it was all about, but also worrying that Korra was working herself to death for extra money. Asami’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, resolute to get to the bottom of this, even if she had to corner Korra. She drove back to their apartment, finding it empty as usual. Her footsteps echoed as she walked into the kitchen, finding the noodles as promised.

Asami felt as if she was back in her father’s house. It was often empty and hollow since he was constantly working, desperate to get his company to the top. Asami also had the feeling he wanted to stay away from the place where is wife had died, driving his whole self into his work to try and block his sadness. Asami didn’t have such an escape, forced to spend her free time wandering the halls with nobody to comfort her. It felt like history was repeating itself as Korra was now being consumed by her work and Asami was stuck in the empty apartment.

 

****Sometime around 4am, Asami jolted awake on the couch to the sound of a door being unlocked. It opened and clicked quietly shut, gentle footsteps tip-toeing over the hardwood flooring. Asami sat up and looked around blearily, Korra’s blurry figure throwing her keys into the key dish and her waistcoat on the floor.

“Korra,” Asami called out soflty, making Korra jump.

“Asami,” Korra said with a weary smile, “What are you doing up it’s almost 4 in the morning.”

 “I wanted to see you,” Asami said, holding her arms out. Korra sank onto the couch, wrapping her arms around Asami.

 “I’m sorry,” Korra mumbled, “I’ve been so busy I sort of lost myself in it.”

 “I wanted to talk to you about that,”

 “Asami, I told you-”

 “Korra please,” Asami pleaded, placing her hand on Korra’s cheek, “What are you hiding? I feel like you don’t trust me.” The last part had slipped out accidentally but it still made Korra’s eyes go wide with shock.

 “No that’s not it at all,” She said quickly, “I just...It’s something that could really affect the future, our future.”

 “If it involves both of us, don’t I deserve to know?” Asami said, pulling Korra closer and staring intensely into her eyes. Korra sighed and drummed her fingers against Asami’s hand.

 “I got a letter from the Monks,” She said, not meeting Asami’s eyes, “They’re considering me for final training...In Asia.” Asami said nothing, her mind instantly buzzing with concern but also relief that it was nothing life-threatening.

 “That’s great news Korra!” She said, “Why would you hide that from me?”

 “Well, the training takes a little over a year,” Korra said sadly, “With almost no visiting time. That’s why I wasn’t sure I was going to accept if they decided to choose me.” Asami paused, trying to put an entire year into perspective. Another year alone, just like when she was younger.

 “Korra…”  

 “I know I shouldn’t go,” Korra said, digging the heel of her palm into her eyes, “It’s just too long to be away and we haven’t had time together lately and-” Asami clamped her hand over Korra’s mouth.

 “Korra I want you to go if they accept you,” She said, lowering her hand.

 “But its over a year,” Korra struggled, “It would be so hard on both of us.” Asami took Korra’s hand and placed it against her lips, making the other girl relax slightly.

 “I know you want to do this,” Asami said, “And I support you 100% of the way. You’ve come too far now to give this up.” Happy tears sprang up in Korra’s eyes. She grabbed Asami and pulled her into a very tight hug. They stayed embraced in each other’s arms until the sun came up, Korra eventually falling asleep in Asami’s lap. She looked at Korra’s face for a long time, knowing that soon she would have to rely on her memory to see that crooked smile again.


	5. Wow LDR's Can Suck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeyyyyy guys... Let's just pretend I've been updating this regularly yeah?

Korra and Asami sat in silence as they made their way towards the airport. Asami’s knuckles were iron clad on the steering wheel, her mind buzzing with things she wanted to say but her tongue refused to move. The months since Korra’s acceptance letter came by mail flew by faster than Asami could register. Korra had cried tears of happiness when she tore open the letter, doing a backflip in celebration right there in the post office. Asami was truly happy that Korra had gotten the letter she’d be dreaming about, but the nagging part of her mind felt a twinge of disappointment. And it was awful. Asami had internally bowed her head in shame at the selfish thought. She could do this. Her knuckles turned even whiter on the the steering wheel as she mentally pep-talked herself.

“Asami,” Korra said softly, taking one of Asami’s hands from the wheel, “Please relax.” Asami took a deep breath through her nose and nodded. Korra began to release her hand but Asami shook her head.

“No, hold onto it.” She said, gripping Korra’s hand.

Next thing Asami knew, they were standing at the airport gate and gripping each other tightly. Neither of them wanted to be the first to let go. Finally the flight attendant coughed politely and reminded them that the plane was ready to take off. Korra looked deep into Asami’s eyes, vowing that she would be back within a year.

Then she was gone.

Asami felt cold in Korra’s absence. The ride home was suffocatingly quiet, but she couldn’t find the motivation to turn on the radio. Six lonely months until the first visitation was allowed. _Six_. _Whole_. _Months_. Asami sighed heavily and finally jabbed her thumb against the radio button, feeling even more deflated when Korra’s favorite radio station started playing from the speakers. It was a soft acoustic song that was sung by a woman with a quiet, lovely voice. Asami couldn’t stop the tears that began to well up in her eyes. She promised that she wouldn’t cry in front of Korra but...well...Korra wasn’t here right now.

She pulled into an empty parking lot and let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. She didn’t sob or howl, but simply let her emotions flow peacefully. After all, she wasn’t angry at Korra whatsoever. She had finally achieved something she had been dreaming about all her life and there was no way Asami could have any ill feelings towards something like that.

She finally managed to drive back to the apartment complex without anymore tears. She just felt exhausted and emotionally drained, but no longer felt the need to cry. Everything in the apartment reminded Asami of Korra’s presence. The pile of shoes by the door that she almost tripped over a million times and even the blender in the kitchen where Korra made her horrifying experimental drinks. Asami would drink a hundred of those if she could have Korra back sooner than a year. She tossed the keys into the dish and sank into the couch cushions, burying her face into one of the decorative pillows. Even those smelled like Korra.

Asami took a deep breath, feeling comforted by the scent rather than saddened. She must have dozed off because she jolted awake what seemed like only a few minutes later to find the apartment completely dark. She gazed around blearily for a few moments before gathering enough brain cells together to turn on a lamp. Her phone lit up with a reminder that she had six missed calls from her secretary at work.

Feeling irritated and resentful, Asami groaned and grabbed her phone from the table, jabbing in the number to call back her secretary and see what all the fuss was about. The phone rang for a few seconds before it was picked up.

 _“Ms. Sato!”_ The secretary squeaked on the other end, _“I’m sorry to bother you at home but-”_           

“This better be important,” Asami growled impatiently into the phone, “I’ve had a very rough day and I’d like to mourn in peace.”

_“Yes Ms. Sato! I apologize again!”_

“Well? What is it?”

 _“The mayor has offered your company a contract to redesign most of the city’s major roadways.”_ The secretary explained quickly, _“He would also like to request to rebuild of some of the old condemned buildings downtown.”_

Asami was speechless. Her company had not been offered such a job in almost two years since her father tarnished its name with his crimes. A job like that would also take an immense amount of time and many sleepless nights of brain-frying work and drafting. But it could also restore the good name her company had retained since its founding before her father ruined it. Investors would come back again and the company could stumble back onto its feet after two longs years of struggle.  

“So when does he want us to start?” Asami asked, reaching into her bag to grab her sketchbook.

\----

Asami adjusted her hard hat and pulled her hair off of her sweaty neck. She bent down and continued moving the large planks of wood to their appropriate building sites. Her tanktop was sticking to her body and her arms were littered with splinters from the unsanded wood, but the building looked great so far. They had bulldozed the old one and started the entire structure from scratch, aiming to make sturdier and nicer looking living spaces.

“Alright, all the wood has been sorted!” Asami called to the other workers, “Let’s start with the left side first.” The workers headed towards the instructed side of the building and began to arrange the planks in the correct pattern.

Six months had already passed since Korra’s departure, but they didn’t crawl as slowly as Asami had anticipated. Working on rebuilding half the city was a great distraction during the day and sometimes at night when she was up late sketching a design. It was back-breaking and stressful but she loved every second of it, knowing that it was good for the city and her company. But when she wasn’t distracted, Asami missed Korra horribly and threw constant glances at the calendar to count the days until they could see each other.

When she did have time to herself, Asami made it a routine to visit Raiko’s at least twice a week to see Tenzin. Since Korra was following in his footsteps, he could often give a rough idea of what Korra was doing in her training at the time.

_(“Ah yes, I think the third month is breathing and body control.” Tenzin said knowledgeably, eyebrows raising closer to the blue arrow on his forehead, “Korra was always much too rash and impatient to really get the hang of it.”)_

It was somewhat comforting to have an idea of what Korra was up to since the trainee’s were often too preoccupied to find time to write. Tenzin also had a nice stockpile of embarrassing stories from Korra’s younger days that Asami was dying to tease her with when she got to visit.  

“Mail for you Ms. Sato!” One of the workers called, coming out of the trailer with a stack of envelopes. Asami snapped from her thoughts and took the thick stack of mail.

“Thank you.” She said politely as the worker ran off to help the others. Asami absentmindedly flipped through the stack, finding that most of it was junk. She stopped suddenly at the sight of a familiar, untidy scrawl. She pulled the brown envelope from the stack and looked at it, heart pounding.

It was definitely Korra’s handwriting. There was no mistaking it. She carefully pulled open the top and slid out the white, handwritten paper.

_Hey ‘Sami!_

_We don’t get much time to write but they consider the six month a special occasion or something like that. Anyway, there’s a prepaid plane ticket inside this envelope so don’t lose it okay? Visiting day is on August 25th and I really hope to see you there because I miss kissing you. I’ve been having the best time here at the temple and I’ve met some cool people but I miss being home with you watching Netflix and vegging out on the couch. What that really means is I miss electricity and you (mostly you) like crazy. The monks told us to keep it short so I better wrap up this letter. I love you and I’ll see you soon._

_Your super monk-in-training,_

_(soon to be Master) Korra_

  
Asami found herself smiling uncontrollably. Reading the letter through another three times, she felt like Korra was there standing in front of her. Feeling full of electric energy, Asami ran back to the workers and had the first floor of the new building done four hours earlier than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on tumblr if you're not too angry with me:  
> gummy-gums.tumblr.com  
> I take art and writing requests

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short one chapter story but I got seriously carried away. Stay tuned for another chapter


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